Story Acting Is Fun (1953)

would be fun to act out all right let's do it tell you what take a minute to think about which party to be would like to play hello I'm mr. Carlson our class is going to act our story well they they don't seem to be ready to act yet so I'll tell you about a few the things we've done here I see this picture well that's a photograph of a duck hawk that says Jimmy took a while back we all thought it was such a good picture that we asked Jimmy to act out the story of how he took it well when Jimmy acted out his story he showed us how we could get good pictures of birds too [Music] isn't that a nice picture well we all learn something when Jimmy acted out his story now sometimes we all act out something that we've read for instance a few weeks ago we acted out a poem that we were reading we find that when we act out parts it's more fun and we get more meaning from our reading under the spreading chestnut tree the village smithy stands Smith a mighty man is he with large and sinewy hands and the muscles of his brawny arms are strong as iron bands yes poems are fun to act out and throw our stories from history now acting them out makes us realize that the people who made history were ordinary human beings just as we are theirs as another picture on our wall the signing of the Declaration of Independence now that's an exciting part of the American history and we acted it out of course we didn't know the exact words that were set there but we imagine what they might have been King George won't like this mr. Adams he'll face prison let him say that what he wills John Hancock is our right to be free and I right mr. Franklin yes mr. Adams you are correct but we sign this King George might click our lives gentlemen I believe we must hang together or we will hang separately don't you agree with me mr. Jefferson yes we must meet the danger we must not be afraid give me that pen I will sign my name to our Declaration of Independence I will sign my name so large that even nearsighted King George will be able to read it let him make of it what he will make that spirit acting out scenes from history makes history more interesting we almost feel where we understand it better and so you've seen some of the ways we've used story acting in our class now I i think the class is ready to act out the episode from tom sawyer i read before all right who would like to play Tom Sawyer oh all right all right you all have a chance bill you play it first now the rest of you pay very careful attention to his performance you can criticize it afterwards let's see ya who would like to play gym all right Bob now who'll be banned then Charlie you want to be then all right there now for that poppy Aunt Polly all right Claire now the rest of you be very good listeners because you all play a part later are you about ready up there almost this is a fence the time spiral whitewashing this can do for the price here's something this can be the bucket I'm ready now mr. Carlson but I'm not mr. Carlson's and since look like an apron certainly does and I like your bonnet do thank you I'm ready now me too all i had to make with an apple you see how we do it here was anything we have and lots of imagination to act out the story well I guess we're ready now I don't want a whitewash a fence went out some time wait a while we get to whitewash it'll fit hey town hi Jim please go with their bosses down to the pump to get some water thank you hey what I'll get the water forgive you why watch a little bit of this simple no time no I don't think your aunt I would like it if you ran off less your work oh she would mind the typed it only be gone a minute come on Jimmy I don't know about that hey Jim tell you what give you model give you my egg all right all know why don't you do a white thank you Jim and it's terrific for bagging well besides if you will show you moscato you will okay oh I'm sure Aunt Sally Jim get Tom Sawyer you get back to that sense and I don't watch any more monkey business out of you understand you yes ma'am no more monkey business oh I don't want to whitewash this old Finn's hi time you're in a fix aren't you you gotta work huh oh why did you been I wasn't noticing time you know I'm going swimming today don't you wish you could oh but of course you'd read and work wouldn't you quarter would what he calls what's work isn't it maybe it has he maybe it isn't oh I know suits me fine now you don't mean to tell me you like it like I don't see why I should like does the boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day time can I wait watch a little no no man I don't think it would do see it's always pretty particular about this bit gotta be done just right probably isn't a boy and a thousand all reason two thousand they can do it just the way it's got to be done oh I'll come on time let me just try only just a little I'm at you try time well better I like to love it but if anything we're doing i'll be careful let me try i'll give you the cord my apple when i'm finished feeding whoa and then probably all right i'll give you all of it right now well okay baby all right let's stop now any criticisms know what did you think was good about it dead Alice all right way Claire I talked like an old woman she was just right fine how about you Robert I like the way bill left at halftime Sawyer when he had a whitewash defense and he didn't want to that's right now now how do you think that we can do it better next time gimme well I thought Aunt Polly should have been meaner sook I think time should have enjoyed the album or when you got it those are very good suggestions now let back the story out again Fred you play Tom Sawyer Norman you be gym and you be Aunt Polly and Roberts you be bed now start just as soon ready well now you know how and why we act out stories you have fun you get more meaning from what you read to remember it longer and you learn to express yourself why don't you try it just as we do in our classroom [Music]